Improvement in clamps for button-hole-sewing machines



} E.MOREAU.

CLAMPS FOR BUTTON-HOLE SEWING-MACHINE.

Patented April 3, 1877.

Nofl89 z54.

Witnesses r Inventor N. PETERS. PHTdUTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. ,D. C;

NITE STATES PATENT EUGENE MOREAU, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MOBEAU MACHINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLAMPS FOR BUTTON-HOLE-SEWIN G MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. I89,25-l, dated April 3, 1877; application filed October 11, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE MoaEAU, of

the city and county of San Francisco, and

State of California, have invented an Improved Glalnp for Button-Hole-Sewing Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improved clamp for griping the cloth around the borders of button-hole openings in the cloth-plates of button-hole-sewing machines, so as to hold the cloth immovably in place while the button-hole is being worked.

Heretofore these cloth-clamps have been made either in the form of a single clampingplate which entirely surrounded the buttonhole opening, or in two parts or halves, one part or half serving to clamp the cloth upon each side of the opening. Clothing and finished work, however, when ready for the button-holes, is often unequal in thickness at different points along the border of the buttonhole, because most frequently the buttonh ole must be made through two and even more thicknesses of cloth-for instance, through the cloth and lining, and frequently through padding.

The difficulty experienced has been that although a solid clamp is pressed firmly upon the cloth around the button hole opening, or one upon each side, as above stated, there will still be places where the pressure is not sufficient because of the unequal thickness of 1 the material, so that the needle of the machine will cause the edge to draw, and thus mar the finish and uniformity of the buttonhole work.

My invention consists in constructing a clamp with two or more narrow independent presser-feet placed side by side, each of which will exert an independent downward pressure upon that portion of the cloth directly under it, and thus provide a continuous clamp which will adjust itself to the inequalities of the cloth, and insure its immovability. 7

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of my device.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section thereof.

ploy a single clamp-piece, and attach my independent pressers to it so that they will surround the button-hole opening in a continuous line.

Fig. 1 represents a cloth-clamp which is to be attached to a button-bole-sewing machine, and operated so as to carry the edge of the button -hole under the needle, in the usual way. A is the cloth-plate of theclamp, and

B is the button-hole opening in its front end,

over which the cloth is to be clamped. In

this instance, the clamping-plate O is hinged to the rear end of the plate A, and the forward end of the plate is forced down upon the cloth by an eccentric, D, and lever E. An opening, F, is made in the plate 0, above the button-hole opening in the cloth-plate, and this opening is much larger than the button-hole opening in the plate A. To the under side of the plate 0, and around the edge of the opening, I secure a series of independent spring-pressers, G G G, which are placed side by side, as represented. These springpressers are inclined so that their lower edges will press upon the edge or border of the button-hole opening in the cloth-plate when the clamping-plate is depressed. A spring, H, raises the forward end of the plate 0 when the pressure of the eccentric roller is removed, so that the cloth can be inserted un derneath the feet of the pressers G G G, and over the plate A. A rotation of the eccentric D, by means of the lever E, then forces the forward end of the plate 0 downward and clamps the pressers upon the cloth around the opening in the lower plate, so that it is held firmly at every point.

It is evident that these independent pressers could be applied and operated in various ways to produce the result above specified. I do not therefore confine myself to any special device for mounting and operating them but What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isa A clamp for sewing-machines, composed of a series of independent pressers, G G G,

In constructing my improved clamp I em- In witness whereof I have herennto set nij hand and seal.

EUGENE MOREAU. [L.

Vitnesses:

FRANK A. BROOKS, ()LWYN T. STACY. 

